2022 Howard Park
Flint Rock Shiraz
REGIONAL RANGE
The name Flint Rock epitomizes the fine mineral structure and savoury
elegance of wines grown in the wildly remote and awesomely beautiful
Great Southern of Western Australia. Our regional selection draws upon
the varietal heroes of the 3 primary sub-regions; Mount Barker, Porongurup
and Frankland River to craft wines with regional typicity and purity. The
continental, cool climate of Great Southern is favoured for growing Shiraz. In
the Frankland and Mount Barker subregions, where Shiraz reigns, the wines
display a great intensity of dark fruits with traces of spice, earth and guiding
tannins.
TASTING NOTES
This cool-climate Shiraz embodies the essence of the Great Southern wine
region: rich, powerful dark fruit, exotic spice and distinct minerality. Its
character unfolds gracefully in the glass, with a concentrated fruit profile
that remains impeccably fresh and tart, avoiding any hint of jamminess.
The nose presents a captivating and inky medley of black cherry, blueberry,
blackberry, clove, crushed peppercorn, wet slate and violets, seamlessly
integrated and inviting. The palate is supple and soft, adorned with plentiful
briary fruit providing depth and a plush texture, while grippy tannins offer
impressive length. A bright, blood-orange-like acidity glides along the palate,
complemented by subtle mineral nuances and a delicate oak influence,
lending charry, woodsy notes. This wine is best enjoyed with grilled meats
and other BBQ fare, yet for those with patience, carefully cellaring will reveal
an even softer, silkier side yet to come.
VINTAGE
In 2022, beautiful dry and sunny conditions were entrenched throughout
January and February, removing a great deal of the disease pressure that
rain and humidity can bring and allowing a predictable insight into ripening
patterns across most varieties.
While summer set the scene for another consistent and memorable vintage,
certain varieties paid a penalty for difficult conditions earlier in the growing
season. The wet winter of 2021 lingered unduly, smothering the renewal of
spring and delaying the onset of budburst and flowering in the vineyards.
The consequence was reduced yields in our estate vineyards in the Great
Southern.
Consistent fine weather at the tail end of the growing season ensured that
the potential developed in the vines was maximised by picking at optimum
levels of ripeness. Superb balance between sugar, acidity and flavour across
all varieties gives us great optimism for the evolution of wines from the 2022
vintage.
VINEYARDS
This vintage of Flint Rock Shiraz was sourced from Frankland River which
typically offers a style that is bold and primary in fruit. Tempered by low
rainfall and growing in lateritic gravelly/sandy loams of variable fertility and
water holding capacity, the vines are of low to moderate yield.
WINEMAKING
Vinification in small open vat fermenters with gentle cap management
to facilitate the extraction of fine fruit tannin and strong varietal flavour.
Select parcels were fermented with up to 15% whole bunch to elevate spice
aromatics. Maturation was for 15 months in mostly old French oak

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